


catching little words

by braigwen_s



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Bonding, Conversations, Gen, Wary Companionship, Women Supporting Women
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 15:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19276324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braigwen_s/pseuds/braigwen_s
Summary: Pema is determined to be kind to Lin Beifong.  Lin Beifong is confused, but does appreciate.





	catching little words

"Lin holds grudges as well as her liquor", Tenzin had told her once, "best not to try keep up with either". 

Well, Pema had foresworn keeping of grudges when she’d taken her acolyte oaths at age fourteen. She didn’t drink much, either. What she did do was offer her friendship and service. He hadn’t had to warn her. Not that he ever truly had to – she loved her husband enough to admit she had more sense.

Beifong had been over at the island since mid-afternoon, talking with Tenzin. One of the newest acolytes was wanted for petty crime in the Earth Kingdom, and a regional governor of some sort wanted the URN to extradite them. There were at least sixteen – Pema counted, she was protective of acolytes, she used to be one after all – moral reasons against agreeing, not to mention political. But Raiko had approved the extradition anyway, and from what Tenzin had told her Beifong had pleaded an appeal. Thus, the last four hours had been spent working out how to change it, most preferably not at the cost of starting a dangerous precedent. Or, if word of the President’s attitudes was to be trusted, Beifong’s job.

“Hello, Lin,” she said, sliding to her feet, smiling. Beifong stopped striding down the hallway, and turned to look at her. Her shoulders tilted back in confusion, then she nodded and returned the greeting, if not the smile.

“Hello, Pema.”

Hoping to set her somewhat at ease, she looked for a topic of conversation. She found one in the (thankfully washable) yellow paint smeared on Beifong’s armor, recognisable as part of Meelo’s art set.

“I thought you hated children,” she said, adding a smile to her voice, reassuring that she was teasing. 

Beifong raised her eyebrows, and she feared that she’d offended, but then she drawled “Who says I don’t?”

Pema laughed lightly, and then feigned deep recollection. After a few moments, she said, self-satisfied, “Ikki.” 

Beifong’s head tilted, and her cheeks were cast in soft light for a moment. To Pema’s astonishment, they were reddened. As were the tips of her ears, and neck. “Oh,” she said, and then, “Ikki could have been wrong.” 

Pema very much doubted that, and knew better than to think Beifong foolish enough to. “She said you knew exactly how to quiet Meelo.”

“Yes, well, I got some practice with my sister.”

The words weren’t out of Beifong’s mouth before she cringed at her own admission. She let out a curse under her breath and closed her eyes.

Pema forced her own breathing not to hitch – of all the retorts she could have gotten, that was supremely unexpected. “You have a younger sister?” she asked gently.

Beifong turned away. Her silver hair swung after her, and for a moment the thick lesions on her cheek were obscured. She had a certain harsh beauty, Pema thought, like a mountain-side cliff. A kind of weathered lethality to be admired and respected. “Used to.”

So she had died, then? Or been was it not that simple? 

It clearly caused Beifong pain to think about it, so she nodded and let it go. “Would you like a cup of tea? I was going to –” She couldn’t restrain her yawn, and Beifong turned back to see it.

“Better not,” she said, “we could both do with some sleep.”

Indeed, there were heavy purple rings under Beifong’s eyes, and Pema recognised the tired ache in where her hands were on her back. “You’re right,” she said. Tenzin would had gone up to bed as soon as Beifong left his office, though she doubted he’d been sleeping. He usually lay and worried, or played with or watched the children, until she joined him. Rohan was quieter than the other three had been, for which they were both grateful, but he was yet to start sleeping nights. This meant his parents couldn’t either.

“It’s been known to happen,” Beifong replied. “Thanks for the offer.” She stretched and walked towards the door, making to catch the next ferry. It was twilight, and shadows long, so she couldn’t say for certain, but ... Pema might have seen her smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are very much appreciated!


End file.
